Mexican Red Knee Tarantula
Brachypelma smithi (common name the Mexican Red-kneed Tarantula), is a terrestrial tarantula native to the western faces of the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre del Sur mountain ranges in Mexico. They are a large species, and are a popular choice for enthusiasts. Like most tarantulas, they live a very long life. The mature Brachypelma Smithi has a dark-colored body with orange patches on the joints of its legs, the second element of the legs (the trochanter) is orange-red. Following molting, the colors are more pronounced. The dark portion is very black while the orange-red portions will be far more on the reddish side. An adult female has a body roughly 4 inches long, with a leg span of 6 inches, and a mass of approximately 15 grams. Both sexes are similar in appearance, with the male having a smaller body, but longer legs. Though the male is of comparable size to the female, the male has a much smaller mass. They can live 20 to 30 years.
Size: 5616px × 3772px
Photo credit: © David Tyrer / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: arachnid, arachnids, arachnophobia, brachypelma, carnivorous, crawling, crawly, creepy, david, fear, hair, hairy, invertebrate, knee, legs, macro, mexican, nature, pets, phobia, poisonous, red, smithi, spider, tarantula, tyrer, venom, venomous
